Motor



June 20, 1939. I E, Q WINANS 2,162,771

- MOTOR Filed June 29, 1955 INYENTOR. Edw/n aw'marzs Patented June 20, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOTOR Edwin 0. Winans, Denver, Colo.

Application June 29, 1935, Serial-No. 29,134

1 Claim. (Cl. 12168) This invention relates to motors andhas rela- Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10 are diagrammatic views tion more particularly to a power plant wherein showing consecutive positions of the piston bar a fluid or vapor under pressure is employed as with respect to the casing of the motor. the motive force, and it is primarily an object of As disclosed in the accompanying drawing, C the invention to provide a motor which is free denotes the casing of my improved motor which 5 of reciprocating motion and which is constructed is made in two sections divided along-a. line at and operated in a manner to substantially elimright angles to the axis of the casing and which inate vibration. sections I and 2 are connected or held together It is also an object of the invention to proin a conventional manner by the bolts 3. The vide a motor of this kind which requires but a assembled sections I and 2 provide an internal 10 small space in which to perform its duty in comworking chamber 4, the "side walls 5 of which parison with an engine of a cylinder and piston being substantially flat and in parallelism' while type and thereby providing a material saving in the internal faces 6 of the edge walls are conmaterial with a corresponding reduction in vex in cross section and arcuate from end to end 16 weight. with the outbow thereof disposed toward the The invention also has for an object to provide axial center of the casing C. a motor of this kind of either an internal com- The faces 6 are each disposed on the. same bustion type or of a steam or compressed air radius and are equally spaced around the axial type which in its construction and operation is center of the casing with the outer ends of ad- 20 of a size and weight less per horse power output jacent faces 6 spaced apart a distance substan-- 20 than a cylinder and piston type of motor of subtially equal to the width of the rotating piston stantially the same output; bar B at its extremities. In other words, it may The invention consists in the details of conbe stated that the inner faces 6 are substanstruction and in the combination and arrangetially hypocycloidal and in'the present embodi ment of the several parts of my improved moment of the invention such faces are three in 2 tor whereby certain important advantages are number. Projecting from the outer surfaces of attained and the device rendered simpler, less the sections l and 2 are the cooling fins I. expensive and otherwise more convenientand The piston bar B is in contact at all times at advantageousfor use, as will be hereinafter more three points with the internal faces 6 during the fully set forth; cycles of operation of said bar so that there are 3 The novel features of my invention will herealways three distinct and separate chambers and inafter be definitely claimed. when the motor is of an internal combustion In order that my invention maybe the better type, as illustrated in the accompanying drawunderstood, I will now proceed to describe the ing, the intake, compression, explosion and exsame with reference to the accompanying drawhaust take place in proper sequence in these 5 ing, wherein: chambers between the bar B and the faces 6. It Figure l is a view partly in section and partly may be added at this time that when the motive in elevation of amotor constructed in accordance power is steam or compressed air the desired with an embodiment of my invention, the secexpansion and exhaust also take place in these 0 tion being on the line l-| of Figure 2; chambers. 40

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially The bar B is hollow except at it's'central poron the line 2-2 of Figure 1; tion which is intersected by a block 8 providing Figure 3 is a fragmentary view partly in seca mounting through which is directed the crank tion and partly in elevation illustrating in detail pin 9. This pin 9 bridges the space between the portions of the valve operating mechanism as disks Ill, said pin 9 being eccentric to the shafts 5 herein embodied; H and H These shafts H and ll carry the Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view on an endisks I!) which are concentrically arranged therelarged scale taken through the rotating piston on. The shafts H and ll are also in longitudibarcn substantially the line 44 of Figure 1; nal alignment and extend outwardly through the Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional side walls 5 of the casing C. These shafts H view illustrating a compression seal for coaction and He may be fixedly mounted should it be with the curved edge faces of the casing; desired to have the casing C rotate, or-the cas- Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional ing 0 may be mounted upon a suitable foundaview illustrating a compression seal for coaction tion should it be desired to have the shafts ll with a side face and crank disk or plate; and H rotate. V 7;

The disks ID are snugly received within the inwardly opening circular pockets l2 provided in the opposed walls 5 of the casing, and interposed between the disks l0 and the base Walls of said pockets l2 are the thrust bearings M to carry the pressure loads on the disks or crank plates as they may be called, as well as any thrust load from a shaft l l or Il The surface portion of the piston bar coacting with the faces 6 is provided at points spaced therealong with the transversely disposed dovetail grooves in which are arranged the compression segments or members l6 for coaction with the faces 6 to assure the desired compression seals. Interposed between each of the applied members or segments [6 and the base wall of the associated groove I5 is an expander spring I! to assure the efliciency' of the segment or member I6. 7

The extremities of the grooves 15 communicate with the continuous groove l8 in each side face of the bar B opposed to a disk or crank plate In and inlaid in each of said grooves 18 is a compression seal I9 for engagement with the inner side face of the casing and with a disk or plate, such contact being assured by an expander 20 interposed between the seal l9 and the base of the groove l8. The peripheral face or edge of each of the disks or crank plates [0 also carries a compression ring or seal 2|.

As is clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, the piston bar B is of a length less than the distance between the longitudinal center of an inwardly curved face 6 and the outer spaced extremities of adjacent faces 6 substantially in radial alignment with said longitudinal center. Each of the spaces formed between the outer extremities constitutes what may be termed a cylinder 6" and 'each of said spaces has in communication therewith through a side wall 5 of the section 2 of the casing C a chamber 22 with which communicates the inlet port 23 and the exhause port 23. Each of the cylinders ad= jacent the said outer extremity thereof has the wall slightly constricted; as illustrated in Figure 1; whereby a reduction in diameter occurs. In the movement of the piston bar B the ends thereof successively approach these reduced areas and at eachrof these periods where an end of the piston bar is adjacent the reduced area; the en= gine structure is divided as shown into three distinct chambers. The fuel charge enters the small chambered areas into which the spark plugs project and'these small chambered areas constitute the initial explosion chamber wherein the major portion of the power obtained for continuing the motion of the piston bar is developed. The inlet port 23 is in communication with a suitable'source of fuel supply and said port 23 is under control of the valve 24 while the exhaust port 23' is under control of the valve 25. Also extending within the chamber 22 is a conventional spark plug 26, the operation of which occurring in a conventional manner in desired timed sequence. As the ignition system forms no part of the present invention a detailed disclosure "and illustration thereof is not deemed necessary.

The valves 24 and 25 may be caused to operate as required in any desired manner but, as herein disclosed, one of the shafts H has mounted thereon for rotation therewith a timing drive gear Z'I'which meshes with the diametrically opposed pinions 28 rotatably carried by the ad-- Jacent side wall 5 of the. section. 2.. olithc cas C. These pinions 28 mesh with an internal gear 29 carried by the cam member 30 mounted for independent rotation upon the adjacent shaft I l This cam member 30 is so formed and caused to rotate at a speed to assure the desired operations of the valves 24 and 25 in accordance with a four cycle operation.

Should steam or compressed air be used as the motive force, the cam member 30 will be formed to cause the valves 24 and 25 to operate on a two stroke cycle. As this is believed to be obvious it is not thought necessary to illustrate this par ticular type of cam member as the differences are believed to be only that of design.

As is clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the valves 24 and 25 are provided with the stems 3! for direct coaction with the cam member 30 and that said valves are constantly urged toward theirseats in a well known manner by the expansible members or coil springs 32. The outer wall of each of the cylinders as is particularly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3,, is provided with removable plugs 33 to facilitate the application or removal of the valves 24 and 25.

In diagrammatic Figures 7 to 10 is illustrated the principle of operation of my improved motor. In these figures the end portions of the piston bar B are identified as X and Y and the spaces or cylinders between the bar l3 and the faces 6 of the casing are identified as L, M and N. With the bar B in the position as illustrated in Figure '7, M consitutes the intake, N the exhaust and L the explosion point with the piston bar center G or crank pin 9 rotating around the casing center H or shafts I! and H in a clockwise direction. Figure 8 shows a progression in the rotation of the piston bar center G with the spaces L, M and N operating as set forth with respect to Figure 7. Figure 9 shows a. further progression of the center G with L still in its explosion power stroke with N in its complete exhaust stroke and the intake stroke about to begin, and M well along in its compression stroke. Figure 10 shows explosion now at M, exhaust at L and intake at N. The cycles continue in this fashion, the explosions taking place in the order of L, M, N, L,

M, N, etc.

Again referring to Figure 7, the line re resents the diameter of the rolling circle Z which rolls around inside of circle F which is one and one-half times the diameter of the circle Z'. The line then sweeps out the area enclosed within the curves D which are similar to the faces 6. The center G of line X-Y travels in a circular path E while the ends of the line X Y'trace out the hypocycloids D. The hypocycloids in the casing C are replaced by the curves or faces 6 a perpendicular distance from the hypocycloids of one-half the Width of the bar B. The arcs of these curves are approximately arcs of circles whose centers are located twice the length of the line XY from the center H of the circle F.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a motor constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangementand formation ofthe several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

In an engine structure of the type described, a body having a fiat chamber in the form of a hypocycloidal triangle having connecting Walls of relatively narrow Width between the side Walls thereof, said narrow walls at the apices of the triangle being in spaced substantially parallel relation and joined by a short wall extending perpendicularly thereto, a piston consisting of a bar having parallel flat sides lying against said side walls and edge faces parallel throughout the length of the bar and conforming in transverse configuration to the contour of the inner faces of said connecting walls, the ends of said bar being semi-spherical continuations of the edge faces, a shaft disposed to rotate on an axis passing transversely through the center of said chamber, crank means between said shaft and the transverse center of said bar whereby rotation of the shaft will effect rotating sliding movement of the bar in the chamber about said transverse center, the end and edge faces of the bar being always in contact with the said connecting walls at the three sides of the triangle chamber whereby the one chamber is divided by the bar into three separate and unconnected power chambers, and the said bar being of such length and of such width between the edge faces that when disposed perpendicularly to the narrow Wall forming a side of the triangle the end of the bar remote from said wall will fill the area in the opposite apex and terminate short of the wall extending across that apex, and valve controlled fluid inlet and outlet means communicating with the said power chambers.

EDWIN O. WINANS. 

